Actions speak louder than words — and last night, Brett Gardner didn’t even say a word in the fifth inning. Even if he had shouted from the Green Monster, however, his actions would have drowned out anything he said.

With the Yankees trailing, 3-2, two outs and the tying run sitting on second base, Gardner took a called strike three from Boston lefty Felix Doubront. To say Gardner disagreed with the call would be the understatement of the millennium. He slammed his helmet to the ground. Silently. Still, he got his point across better than Marcel Marceau.

Now here is where the Yankees, who lost, 4-2, begged to differ. At least manager Joe Girardi did.

“I don’t think the ejection makes any sense,” Giradi said. “He should have written him up for throwing equipment. [Gardner] didn’t say anything. I disagree with Mike.”

Gardner afterwards was more contrite than ticked — and unsure if Girardi’s argument against the ejection was valid.

“Maybe so,” Gardner said. “I’ve seen other guys do the same thing and not get thrown out. The bottom line is I’ve got to have better control of my emotions and not do what I did. I apologized to him [Girardi]. I put him in a bad spot.”

The Yankees, that same inning, lost left fielder Zoilo Almonte to a sprained left ankle. And the Yankees’ depth is not quite oceanic these days. More like bathtub deep.